2020 primary election preview: Peter Rosewicz challenges Marcy Kaptur for Democratic nomination in 9th House district

Marcy Kaptur Age: 73Education: Bachelor's degree in history, University of Wisconsin; master's in urban planning, University of Michigan; completed study toward a PhD in urban planning, MITFamily: SingleJob history: As a city and regional planner practicing for 15 years in Toledo and Chicago, and then appointed urban adviser to the president in the Jimmy Carter administration, I was pursuing my PhD when asked to run for Congress in 1982. It has been my great honor to represent Ohio's 9th Congressional District since that election. Website: marcykaptur.com Peter Rosewicz Age: 32Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration/marketing, University of Akron, 2010Family: SingleJob history: Salesman; bartender; bar back; busboy; car wash; industrial floor stripper; dealership porter; Panera employee; city worker; nighttime kitchen manager; door-to-door salesman; mortgage loan originator; dogsitter; sous chef; kitchen manager; POC salesman; documentary promotion; sales and marketing at rock climbing gym; business consultantWebsite: Rosewicz for Congress 2020 on Facebook. The 9th District U.S. House of Representatives seat is held by Democrat Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in the history of the House. This year, newcomer Democrat Peter Rosewicz is hoping to unseat Kaptur. What makes you the best candidate for the position? Kaptur: I have consistently delivered results to our district since first being elected to Congress, bringing over $1 billion in federal dollars back home, including millions to restore Lorain's Black River, restore Lake Erie, waterways and our environment, develop our ports, rail, businesses and infrastructure, and secure our people's housing, health care, retirement and education. I remain committed to good jobs with living wages and guaranteed benefits, fully funded public education and to fully finance traditional Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. I am a strong advocate for a responsible energy policy reducing reliance on petroleum fuels while developing alternative sustainable energy sources. Rosewicz: I am a regular person, not a career politician. I am able and willing to listen to everyone. I don't owe 36 years of donations or favors to millionaires. I've been rich, poor, special, regular, respected and ignored. I am only doing this to show people that they can do good in this world without needing $3 million in order to "have a snowball's chance in hell" of beating someone like Marcy. Enacting tangible campaign finance reform is the only way to get money out of politics and remind people that we give the government rights, not the other way around. What is the biggest challenge facing your district and how would you address it? Kaptur: The single most-important issue is to ensure security for all Americans. This includes the economic well-being of every American, not just a privileged few, and includes security in employment, health, retirement, housing and education. To this end, we must continue our efforts to identify and develop the job-rich growth sectors in our local economy and enhance university and federally driven research to ensure that our region is competitive in a rapidly changing economy. I have focused my efforts in Congress on these issues and will continue to do so if given the opportunity to serve again. Rosewicz: The biggest challenges facing my district are pretty obvious if you look but, more importantly, listen to the people who live there. I, being a Lakewood resident, hear a lot. The most common thing I hear is that people have given up. They don't bother stressing over the newest headline, from both sides, because they don't believe in anything even closely related to government anymore. They see that Congress works for donors, not for them. I'm not addressing it, I'm shoving it into the light then burying it so it never happens again.